Chronicles of Thorn Skellington
by NightMeisterStein
Summary: Thorn is the daughter of Jack Skellington and Sally, and Jack's sole heiress. She has quite the legacy to live up to, and as she prepares to take up her father's haunted throne, she has to experience struggles and unrealistic expectations while also trying to quell the demon within...
1. Birth

_First, a disclaimer:_

 _This is a revamp of a Nightmare Before Christmas fanfiction I'd written a couple of years back. This is the story of Thorn, daughter of Jack and Sally, and as the way of the fandom goes, Jack's heiress and Pumpkin Princess._

 _Let's begin._

* * *

Midnight on Halloween.

Jack Skellington and his wife, Sally, were preparing for the festivities of the holiday. The ghosts, ghouls, and spooks of Halloween Town were abuzz with frightful delight, seeing their leader. However, Jack and Sally only passed by with brief, yet very warm and heartfelt, exchanges with the citizens. They were on their way to see someone very important: Dr. Finklestein.

Upon entering his lab, he greeted the couple with open arms.

"Jack, my boy! Sally! It's odd, yet still somewhat good to see you. I've been waiting for some time for you to come to me," the doctor said, steering his wheelchair to Sally, his creation.

"So sorry, Doctor," Sally replied apologetically. "You know how everyone is when Jack's around."

"I have an enormous responsibility to the townsfolk and the holiday, after all," Jack chimed in. "As the Pumpkin King, I have to live up to my title."

"Yes, yes, but we are here for another reason, are we not?" Dr. Finklestein interrupted. "I believe we have some work to do, as I recall. Based on what Sally has told me, Jack, she and you are planning to start a family of your own."

Jack blanched, and Sally's cheeks turned a dark blue.

It was true. They'd wanted children for some time, and Jack knew eventually he'd have to step down and pass on his terrifying legacy to an heir. Unfortunately, he had no children, and as the years passed, his previous boredom which nearly destroyed Christmas some time before was starting to return, only because he was running out of ideas on how to make Halloween truly a night of screams.

So, he and Sally had agreed the time had come, for multiple reasons, that it was time to have a child.

"The process should be simple enough," the doctor continued, "seeing as the easiest way to make this possible is to create a being like Sally."

"Another rag doll?" Sally chuckled.

"It would be the most efficient means, yes. And as you know how to, I can aid in getting the necessary materials, but I will allow you two to create your child on your own. Sally, you are a gifted seamstress, and can sew yourself back together. This will be a useful skill for this task. And you, Jack, can give him or her a resemblance to your frightening image, which will be carried on through the ages, it seems.

"Now, then, I believe the time has come to get started, is it not?"

Following a brief nod from Jack, the three set to work.

With a pale, almost pure white cloth, strands of fine hair, and dead leaves, Sally stitched together a little body, the size of a newborn baby. In the process, she and Jack agreed that the baby should be a girl, and she stitched it accordingly.

By the end of the process, as the sun began to rise over Halloween Town, Sally held a little cloth baby with white hair and sharp fingers resembling Jack's bony fingers. The little cloth girl had a smaller, thinner version of Jack's mouth, and the eyes were merely sockets, as no eyes were needed. They could open and close, with a great deal of effort put in by Sally's part. Stitches pulled her together in a similar manner to Sally.

"Look at her, Jack," she whispered. "She's beautiful."

"Like her mother," Jack beamed, wrapping his long arms around his wife and new, though still inanimate, daughter.

"Now, let me see her, Sally, so I can bring her to life," Dr. Finklestein said, cutting in and holding his arms out. Sally carefully placed the baby in his arms, and he wheeled away before placing her on a table.

With the flip of a lever, and various other scientific acts, slowly, the baby came to life, cooing happily. Jack and Sally together scooped her up very gently, and with her tiny, claw-like hand, she touched her father's bony cheek and exploded in a giggling fit.

"So curious, and easily excited," Jack muttered, a quizzical look on his face. He looked at his daughter, and watched the expression so similar to his own light up like a freshly lit jack-o-lantern.

That was before Jack yelped in pain as she accidentally scratched his hand.

Tears filled her eyes, and a whimper slipped from her lips. But Jack was not going to allow it. So, he lifted the little girl high above his head, causing a confused then once-again happy look. She squealed in excitement.

"Thorn. My daughter. My little Pumpkin Princess."

He lowered her, and cradled his daughter, a yawn escaping her tiny lips before she snuggled into her father's arms.

"Thorn? Why that name, Jack?" Sally asked.

"I think it suits her best."

Sally looked at her daughter. She was falling asleep quickly, and her breathing slowed. Her claws reminded her of Jack's bony hands, and they were made into artificial claws. Like little thorns.

"Thorn... I like it. Thorn it is."

When they left the laboratory after a long conversation about her, Sally was carrying a sleeping Thorn in her arms, Jack carting some essentials behind her, and on that Halloween morn, the heiress of Jack Skellington came to be.


	2. The Beginning

_Years later..._

"Thorn! Come down from there!"

Jack's cry rung out throughout the square as he stared up at the roof of the town hall, where his young daughter sat, watching the citizens move about their business. She was kicking her feet as they dangled over the edge, and other residents of Halloween Town stared up in confusion, wonder, and even anxiety.

At this point, Thorn was ten years old. She was growing quickly, and it seemed like she'd grow to mirror her father. She now looked more like him than her mother, though the two women were the same thing: a rag doll.

Regardless of the growing tears in her stitches, and the obvious differences, she was Jack's daughter, a true Skellington child.

"Hi, Papa," she called, waving to her father below.

"Thorn, please! It's too dangerous for you up there! You could tear!" The panic in Jack's voice was clear. He feared for his daughter. She was still so young, and while she could not die from falling a great height, the shock could keep her from stitching herself back together again in time.

Thorn waved again, this time dismissively. "I've got my needle and thread, Papa. I'll be all right."

Her father grumbled as he stared helplessly at her, and she kept kicking her feet playfully. How could he make her understand? She was still a child, and wording things right to children was something he'd had to learn, slowly, over time. Unfortunately, however, he wasn't always the most effective, though Thorn adored Jack. At least she listened, finally, about carrying her needle and thread around with her at all times.

As she grew, Thorn had become increasingly more curious, even to the point of rebellion. Such was to be expected from Jack's only child, but this caused some trouble...admittedly more often than the Mayor cared for. All of the citizens adored their princess, true. However, her eagerness to get into everything and go places she really shouldn't started to become a problem. Her habits were slowly becoming dangerous for her, and giving everyone a fright and not in a good way.

"I'm bored now."

Thorn rose from where she sat, and flung herself off the roof to the ground below.

"THORN!"

Jack ran up to where he could be under her, and caught her as she fell, forcing both to the ground due to Thorn's velocity.

"Yay!" she exclaimed, clapping enthusiastically as she rolled off her father's rib-cage. "That was fun! Let's do it again!"

A chuckle escaped Jack's lips. "Not now; your mother has been looking for you. It's time to eat, and she and I need to talk to you about something very important. Okay, little fright sprite?"

Pause.

"Okay, Papa. I'll head home."

Quickly, Thorn bolted upright onto her feet, and in no time flat, she was gone, her bare feet making no sound as they hit the cobblestone streets.

 _Some hours later..._

Dinner had settled in Thorn's "belly". They were all settled in the living room, which sat at the top of the tower in the family home. After his marriage to Sally and Thorn's birth, Jack had renovated it from his study to accommodate his family more easily. Zero, the friendly little ghost dog that had been Jack's faithful friend for so many years, lay next to Thorn sleeping, his spectral head in her lap.

"Now, Thorn," Sally began, which made Thorn look up at her from Zero's sleeping form. "Your father and I wanted to talk to you about...well, your future."

"You're becoming a big girl, now," Jack picked up, "and you've already shown you can understand responsibility and all it entails, even at ten years old. I think it's time we had a serious discussion about the path you'll go down, as seriously as we can make it so you can understand at least."

"Okay."

Thorn's flat response created confused exchanged glances between her parents. But that didn't last long. Jack cleared his throat and continued.

"As you know, I am the holiday leader, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. I have the enormous responsibility of making sure every Halloween is more horrible and bone-chilling than the last. However, I can't do so forever. Eventually, I will have to step down from my position, and someone will need to take my place.

"And that, my dear Thorn, is where you step in."

His words rang in Thorn's ears, and for a moment, she sat dumbfounded. Yet still, her father continued on.

"As my only child, you are my heir. One day, the responsibility I hold will be yours. On that day, you will be the Pumpkin Queen of Halloween Town, and I firmly believe you'll do a fantastic job in carrying on the legacy I will pass on to you. You're already gifted at scaring people, I've noticed."

This was true. Thorn had become terrifying quickly. She mastered sneaking up on someone silently and letting out a horrifyingly loud banshee screech by the time she was four, and she could sometimes manipulate shadows into disturbing images. This caused some streaks in her bone white hair, but over time it became tips, and they permanently outlined her hair in inky blackness.

Most of her fear tactics relied on illusion and the element of surprise, and Jack noticed this immediately as she aged.

"I know it must be overwhelming for you," Sally finally said, looking at Thorn with soft eyes. "Of course, we have discussed it, and you don't have-"

"I can be like Papa?"

Such a small, innocent question.

Such a large impact.

Jack's face lit up with pride and curiosity. "Yes," he replied, "You can be just like me, or your mom, but-"

"I'll do it."


	3. Warning Signs

"You did what to my daughter?!"

"Jack, please, calm down!"

The skeleton man was pacing back and forth, his wife eagerly trying to calm him down, with the wheelchair-bound mad scientist looking at him blankly. The news he had just given the couple was enough to send Jack into a frenzy.

"Do you realize the impact this could have on her?" he screeched.

"JACK!" Sally shouted, finally making her husband step back a minute.

He let out a sigh. "That explains Thorn's reckless behavior, and a lot of other traits in her I've noticed... But, how could you do such a dangerous thing to my child, Doctor?"

"It was the only way to animate her, Jack. It was all I could use; I had no choice," Dr. Finklestein snapped slightly as he lifted the hatch on his head and racked his brain. "Thorn is so far only experiencing minor side effects, and it does not deter her at all from living up to your expectations."

"But Doctor," Sally interrupted, "it was very dangerous for you to do that. What will happen to our daughter now?"

"One of two things." The doctor continued racking his brain. "Nothing, or the worst calamity to ever befall Halloween Town since Oogie Boogie's usurping years ago."


	4. Tapping Into the Darkness

Eleven-year-old Thorn sat in the living room with her mother, quietly stitching at a dress the two of them were making for her. Her hands were hard to separate from the beautiful white thread, but with great care, she managed to find the thread again without sewing herself to the dress.

"Just like that, Thorn," Sally smiled. "At this rate, you could become a skilled seamstress."

"You're amazing at sewing, Mama," Thorn piped up. "You're the best in the whole town at it!"

Sally could only smile at her child, though a hint of sadness crept up on her.

 _"How could you do such a dangerous thing to my child, Doctor?"_

 _"What will happen to our daughter now?"_

 _"One of two things. Nothing, or the worst calamity to ever befall Halloween Town since Oogie Boogie's usurping years ago."_

The doctor's words were still fresh in her mind. Jack had to leave in a fury, anxious to get back to his daughter. In the now eleven years Thorn had been alive, she'd become extremely playful, even to the point of finding the most dangerous and unreasonable means to have fun. She also exhibited a variety of strange behaviors, from muttering and screaming in her sleep to watching the shadows on the walls in a trance like stare to even whispering nonsense about unexplained anger and a desire to go higher and higher, as if to escape.

She seemed to want to go far away, and her personality would often shift when this happened.

Before she could dwell, below her, the front door opened and closed, and a familiar voice called up.

"I'm home."

"Papa!"

Thorn rushed past Sally and clung to the long, bony arm of her father Jack, rising from the stairwell to greet his wife and daughter. "Hello, my darling little fright sprite," he said cheerfully, holding her up as she dangled from his arm. "Were you good for your mama?"

"Uh huh! We made me a new dress!"

"Did you now?"

Thorn nodded, falling down and rushing once again, ever so silently, and grabbed the fruit of her and her mother's labor: a simple black dress with intricate spiderweb designs. In the middle of each were carefully sewn cloth spiders.

"It's lovely, Thorn," Jack said. "You're becoming as gifted as your mother is."

"She could possibly be better than I am at it now, Jack," Sally retorted.

"No way, Mama. No one could be better than you."

Jack let out a hearty laugh. "Well, now, Thorn. It seems you're developing quite the spunky attitude today."

Thorn puffed her little cheeks. "I'm just telling the truth."

"Even so, it's past your bedtime now. I'm sure you should thank your mother for letting this happen. Now, time for bed. Dr. Finklestein said that you could go to the lab tomorrow and use his equipment to do some experimentation if you want."

Thorn lit up at her father's words, and though it only filled her with more energy to hear it, as she loved chemistry as of late, she refrained. Her father always told on her to the doctor if she was in trouble when he offered that to her, and then he wouldn't let her do anything. She merely nodded instead. "Okay. Night, Mama. Night, Papa."

"Good night, dear Thorn."

Thorn merely dashed off to her bedroom, excited about all the things she was planning to discover in her latest experiment.

Later that night, however...

" **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!** "

The scream came suddenly in the dead of night. Jack and Sally, no matter how used to it they were, rushed immediately to their daughter's bedroom, but instead of finding her sitting up in her bed, panting and sobbing, she lay flat on her back, her eye sockets open wide and her mouth in a silent whimper. Her once solid white hair was now tipped in a shadowy black, and she was barely able to catch her breath.

"THORN!"

Both Jack and Sally bounded toward Thorn's bedside, eager to do anything they could to help her. She looked to be in incredible pain.

"We have to call the doctor," Sally breathed. "Go. Please. I'll stay with her."

Jack knew better than to argue. He merely ran as fast as he could.

Soon after, he returned to the house, sullen and looking defeated.

"What happened, Jack?" Sally asked.

"It's begun," Jack replied. "The severe side effects. That's what the doctor told me himself. There's nothing that can be done for it but to let it run its course."

"Will she..."

"No. Not according to the doctor. He said she just needs us to support her, keep an eye on her."

"Mama... Papa..."

Thorn's first words since she cried out. Both her parents focused intently on her, watching her rise to a sitting position stiffly. "I'm cold," she moaned, "and my head really hurts..."

Sally scooped up her daughter carefully. "We'll make you some nice deadly nightshade tea," she sighed. "It'll help warm you up and get you to rest. How does that sound?"

Thorn nodded a little. "Uh huh..." she whimpered.

Jack and Sally looked grimly at each other as Thorn's eyes slid closed. The doctor's warning was coming to light. And they could only hope for the best for their daughter now.


	5. Enter the Danger

The time had come where Thorn turned fifteen years old.

Halloween had hit full circle, and on top of that, Jack and Thorn both shared a wonderful occasion: a birthday celebration.

Jack had told his daughter when she was little that all holiday leaders were born, in whatever context that may be, on the day of the holiday which they would grow to take over. This meant Jack and his young daughter Thorn shared not only the weight of holiday responsibility, but a cherished day of their own lives.

But they celebrated early in the day, and the time had come for Halloween festivities to take place.

"Papa, the decorations in Town Hall are all hung up," Thorn whispered over her father's head as she dangled upside down from the rafters of the building. Jack only snapped his head in her direction, having been used to her shenanigans at this point.

"Thank you, fright sprite," Jack said, smiling and shaking his head. "If you could go to the pumpkin patch now and see if we have enough jack-o-lanterns for tonight?"

"On it, Papa."

The young rag doll princess fell to the ground, soundless as she landed, and with equal silence she made her way to the pumpkin patch.

Over time, Thorn's fear factor had only increased. She modeled her father in many respects, but she had talents of her own that no one could comprehend. She was like a banshee, becoming one with the shadows (even despite her white hair obviously standing out in darkness), and her screams rattled even the stillest of graves. Her parents had shown enormous pride in her progress, though not without concern.

As she aged, she also became more curious and even more rebellious based on random spats of curiosity.

Months back, she blew up half of the pumpkin patch and even herself to pieces, just to test a mixture of random ingredients. Her father had been so furious, he spent two months watching her as she re-grew every last pumpkin. While that wasn't a difficult task, it was humiliating to the then fourteen-year-old.

She stood among these regrown pumpkins, many of which with horrifying faces carved into them, and with a satisfied nod, she started to head back.

"Wow, look at these babies. They sure got big quick, huh?"

The voice caught Thorn off guard, making her eye sockets go wide and her spin quickly to face the voice's owner: a boy, similar looking in age, dressed as a skeleton, with green hair and white makeup all over his face.

"Who are you?" she asked hesitantly. "I didn't think there were any other teenagers in town, beside me and the older kids. You must be new in town."

"Excuse me, Miss High-and-Mighty, but I'm twenty-two," the boy snapped. "And just for the record, I was here long before you were. So watch it, sweetheart."

"Whoa, what? You're an adult, but you look like you're thirteen?"

"I said watch it!" The sucker in the boy's mouth was pointed at Thorn as if it were a weapon. "I may look young, but I've got seniority here, and you don't wanna mess with me and my siblings."

Confusion.

 _I did nothing to this guy, so why is he trying to pick a fight with me?_ Thorn thought. _He acts like the biggest, baddest guy in the pumpkin patch, but he's not so hot. Oh, shoot! Papa!_

"Okay, then... I don't know what's happening, but I got things to do, so..."

Thorn waved, and tried to walk away, but immediately the boy stepped in her path.

"You're Jack's little girl, aintcha?" he said.

Her eyes met his, and for a moment, she felt surprised.

"Do I really look that much like my papa?" she asked, legitimately confused.

People told her all the time. While she technically favored her mother in the sense that they were both rag dolls, she looked enough like her father that people instantly knew who her parents were (as if the resemblance wasn't uncanny enough?).

"No dispute," the boy sighed. "But, that's not-"

"Thorn! Thorn, where are you? The festival is about to begin! Come, now!"

Thorn blinked in the direction of her father's voice before looking at the boy, then giving a relieved smile.

"I'll see you around, then, mister."

Without another word, Thorn dashed off to her father, vowing to the wind along the way that she say nothing about the green-haired skeleton boy.


	6. Horror Show

The following day...

"The festival went well yesterday, didn't it, Papa?" Thorn asked softly, raising a spoon full of soup to her mouth.

"Most definitely," Jack said with a smile. "In fact, it was the most horrible to date."

"I thought the "pyro show" with the jack-o-lanterns and such was a nice touch, but next time, instead of fire ghosts, maybe try fire skeletons? You know, with rattling and jump scares that makes someone's spines clam up?"

Jack looked at his daughter in surprise as she continued slurping her soup. "What a terrifyingly brilliant idea, Thorn. Where did you come up with it?" he asked, intrigued.

"I have a good role model."

Her sly smile stretched halfway across her head as she rose, taking her now empty bowl with her to put it away for her mother. She caught the expression on Jack's face: proud, yet bewildered. Why he was bewildered, Thorn had no idea. It's not like she didn't live up to her father's teachings and expectations, and she was very observant and eager to learn.

Besides, it's what she wanted, and she was good at. She needed to be, if she wanted to be like her father.

"Thorn, dear, could you go check on the garden if you have a spare moment? And take Zero with you. I think he needs to go 'home' for a spell," Sally called from the other room.

At the mention of his name, there was a happy yip as the little ghost dog floated through Thorn's feet excitedly. Zero had been in the house for a few weeks, and sometimes he got depressed if he didn't get the chance to visit his own grave.

"Okay, Mama," Thorn replied, reaching her hand down for Zero to move under. "Come on, Zero."

Zero followed, and Thorn walked to the front door, Zero phasing through first.

"Be careful out there."

"I will, Papa."

She left then, and walked down the steps of the family home to the little garden below.

As Thorn was growing up, her and Sally had set up a garden of botanicals on either side of the steps, containing mostly deadly nightshade and witch hazel granted. Oftentimes, Sally liked to make deadly nightshade soup or tea for Dr. Finklestein, as it helped him sleep. Even Thorn herself took benefit from that over time since she developed insomnia. Nowadays, at night, she had some deadly nightshade tea, and it allowed her to sleep at night dreamlessly.

Observing the garden, Thorn noticed some of the herbs were dried up, so she ran to the well close by to fetch some water.

"Oh! Hey, Thorn!"

The cry made Thorn raise her head.

The only other person even close to her age in the area, the corpse kid who kept his name a secret for so long, was standing beside the well, a box of dog biscuits in his arms and one in his mouth.

"Afternoon," Thorn replied. "It's a pretty gloomy one today, huh?"

"Yeah. It's perfect. Just enough clouds in the sky."

He looked away nervously as Thorn drew the water she needed for her garden, scratching his ear almost clean off. "So, listen, Thorn..." he began, "I was wondering...if you-"

 _BOOM!_

"What was that?!"

"That sounded like it came from the pumpkin patch!"

"No, it didn't, it-"

"FIRE!"

Thorn immediately sprang into action, leaving the corpse kid behind to investigate and following the rushing townsfolk to...

"Oh, no...!"

Her voice caught in her throat after that. What she was seeing, she couldn't even comprehend herself, but there was no question about the nature of the explosion.

Town Hall was ablaze.


	7. What's This?

"Get out of the way! Out of the way!"

Thorn's scream echoed through the crowd as she ran past to watch the inferno, throwing the bucket of water onto the base of the flames. She knew she couldn't get too close; she was cloth after all.

"Someone get my papa! Everyone else, get as much water as you can and put out the fire! For those that can go into flames, go inside and get anyone inside out! Anyone that is likely to burst into flames if you get to close either run or stay to the back! Let's move, people! Go, go go!"

Everyone dispersed accordingly.

Thorn and many of the townspeople stayed outside to douse the flames, while a few fled for their own safety and two or three townspeople ran inside the blaze, bringing out an injured Mayor. There was no one else according to the recovery party, so with the combined efforts of all of the townspeople, the fire was finally extinguished.

"Everyone, make way!"

"Here comes Jack!"

Thorn snapped her head to see her father approach, his long stride elongated all that much more and an urgent look in his eyes. He saw his daughter, and made his way to her. "What happened, Thorn?" he asked. He looked her over, making sure she wasn't harmed before looking at the remains of the blaze. "Are you injured? What can you tell me?"

"I was going to get water for the garden," Thorn replied, "and I was talking to the corpse teen when...when Town Hall exploded. Only the Mayor was inside, and he's being treated for his burns."

"I see... Did you put out the flames?"

"Not by myself, Papa, no."

"She took charge though," said the wolf man. "Like a real leader. She was directing everyone where to go, and told everyone what they needed to do."

Jack only looked at Thorn, and his face softened a little. "I'm proud of you," he whispered to her.

"Thank you, Papa," Thorn whispered back.

A chill ran down her nonexistent spine, and she looked towards the shadows of the ruined town hall, before an image crossed her mind.

A red pitchfork. A torch painted red and black. A set of three laughing maniacally. A sense of threat and revenge. The face of the green-haired boy she'd met only a day prior, with another boy, holding a pumpkin smelling of sulfur, and a purple-haired girl.

"Thorn? Thorn, are you all right? Can you hear me?"

Her father's bony hands were on her cloth shoulders, shaking her gently. His concerned eye sockets only met hers gently, filled with worry.

"Papa."

A silent whisper, almost inaudible, but Jack could most likely get that she was terrified about what had just happened. Thorn didn't truly believe he fully understood, though. She had seen something, an image in the shadows of the ruins, as if a memory was lying there in the darkness. The shadows had shown her what happened that day, and revealed to her the cause of the fire.

Arson.

It was a deliberate attack on Town Hall.

 _But why? Why would anyone burn Town Hall down? Sure, the Mayor is annoying sometimes, but he's just doing his job. And Papa trusts him, so there's no reason why anyone should attack the place._

 _Unless..._

Thorn didn't even think; she ran on auto pilot, not listening as her father cried out to get her attention. She only bolted, as fast as she could, to the pumpkin patch.

It was time to get some answers from the boy costumed as a skeleton.


	8. Bone-Chilling Encounter

"Hey, it's Jack's little princess!"

Thorn looked over to the top of the hill which the pumpkin patch sat under. The boy she'd seen once before, with the other two she'd seen in the shadow's vision, were there waiting for her, each with a maniacal grin on their face.

"You came at the right time, doll face," said a boy with vivid red hair, in a devil costume and holding a bright red pitchfork.

"We were just talking about you!" screeched the purple haired girl with them dressed as a witch.

"You three!" Thorn snapped. "You three blew up Town Hall! You could've killed someone! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

The trio looked at each other, blank-faced for a moment before all grinning subtly.

"You actually caught us, eh, princess?" taunted the green-haired boy. "I didn't think your sleuthing was up to snuff, but maybe..."

A snap echoed the air, and the ground rumbled under Thorn's feet before an army of skeletons popped out. They looked angry, and ready to fight, as their eye sockets all bore into Thorn. They all let out a similar cry.

"Your fighting skills better be!"


	9. The Truth Must Come Out

_What do I do...?_

The skeletons all surrounded Thorn as the trio burst into excited laughter. She was unarmed, outnumbered, and even her screech couldn't blow all of them away. She was at a disadvantage.

 _What do I do?_

All the cards were against her. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. She couldn't evade all of them, and even tearing herself apart and letting her individual pieces escape was too risky. While she could try, there were too many skeletons to effectively try that to escape.

 _What do I do...?!_

No one would know if she was killed. Her father, her mother, no one would find her until Zero led them to her.

 _WHAT DO I DO!?_

"THORN!"

A crack, like a whip, rang through the air, and Thorn's world was swallowed in darkness. The ground exploded around her. She let out a horrible scream, louder than even her banshee screech.

One by one, the skeletons fell around her, and she stood in the darkness, alone and afraid, watching this unfold while the scream continued to escape her lips.

When the darkness evaporated, and the scream finally stopped, Thorn looked around. Dirt and debris had been scattered all over the place, the skeleton army had fallen...and her father stood a distance away, a green glob wrapped around his wrist.

The trio was gone.

So was the world as Thorn hit the ground, her vision fading to black.

...

Slowly, the world came back into view.

Dr. Finklestein was seated beside her, grumbling under his breath, with Jack and Sally beside him and Sally specifically at the bedside. When they saw her eyes had opened, Sally took her daughter's hand in relief, and Jack loomed over both of them, his hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Thorn, you're all right. You're awake," Sally whispered.

"Mama," Thorn croaked.

"I was worried you wouldn't open your eyes." Sally hugged Thorn gently, her soft hands running through her daughter's hair. "Your papa told me what happened, and we brought you straight to Dr. Finklestein."

"How long...?"

"A week," Jack said, petting Thorn as if she was fragile. "It's been a week, Thorn."

"A stressful week for me," the doctor interjected.

"Doctor, please..." Jack moaned, but the doctor had none of it.

"She's showing the signs, Jack. We must teach her how to control it."

"Control what?" Thorn snapped, though her voice came out as a soft whimper.

Everyone exchanged nervous, fearful glances, and at first said nothing. Thorn felt the fear in her system start to rise before the doctor spoke.

"Thorn, you're a rare being in Halloween Town. Your birth...it was so rare and marvelous. However, this isn't entirely suitable. No one before you was born in the same way you were, after all, not even your father."

"Doctor, I'm dead," Jack growled.

"I'm aware. I've been aware for a long time," snapped Dr. Finklestein impatiently. "But this is not about you, Jack. This is about your daughter."

"What about me?"

The stiff gaze of Dr. Finklestein met the young princess at last. "You were born with the soul of a dead child, Thorn, and the result is causing a reaction the likes of which have never been seen before in all of Halloween Town."

Thorn felt her world break. Everything in her field of vision shook for a minute.

"I'm...a dead child?"

"Not entirely. You are alive, but the child who gave its life to you is not. Not anymore. With this experiment, I've determined this could give you great power in many regards, especially along the lines of scaring. I suspect you inherit other power from being Jack's own daughter.

"At the same time, though, the soul of the child has become...agitated. Ghosts are fickle creatures, and possess powers unlike anything Halloween Town has known before. As a result, you exhibit unnatural capabilities for a resident here. As you're neither dead nor truly alive, as many citizens are, it's going more smoothly than I anticipated as far as a transition. However, you must coexist and control the powers this ghost gives you with the loss of its life."

"If I don't?"

A loaded question.

A harsh answer.

"You will die, and Halloween Town will fall to chaos."

* * *

 **Halloween is less than a week away. I don't anticipate the story being over by then, unless I write multiple chapters every day. More to come.**


	10. Pain

For the remainder of Thorn's mandated recovery time, she slept. When she was awake, she did not eat, she barely had anything to drink, and the only thing she did was either play with her stitches (tearing her stitches and sewing herself back together again, making her mother buy her new thread) or stare at the ceiling. While she didn't necessarily _need_ food or drink, the concept of her not doing either was cause for concern.

That is when Dr. Finklestein wasn't running tests on her to make sure there weren't any adverse effects on her after the news of how she was born came to light. The tests came back inconclusive, unfortunately, because her mood often made the shadows dart, and there was one time those shadows grabbed the doctor's chair and held him in place until he let her go back to bed.

Her bed-rest lasted for another week after she woke up before Dr. Finklestein released her from his care.

Her parents welcomed her back home happily. Her mother pet her hair and made her favorite stew, while her father read some books with her about various sciences, something Thorn thoroughly enjoyed. While the sentiment was nice, it wasn't enough to ease the emptiness in her heart.

She could now manipulate shadows at will due to her dark, paranormal background. Her mood affected the shadows. And her once-prominent love of sneaking about spooking folks had been diminished greatly. Her father hoped it was temporary while she processed everything. Thorn herself was not so sure.

One night after she returned home, as she sat with her father in front of the fire, she turned to him and asked, "How long did you know about me?"

Jack paused and looked up from his book, hurt in his eye sockets. Thorn didn't hide the betrayal in her voice. Her parents had hidden such a terrible secret from her, and her existence, at least in her mind, was now cursed.

"Thorn, try to understand..." Jack began, but Thorn was having none of it.

"You hid that from me. You hid the fact that a dead child's soul gave me my life. I want to know how long you could do that to your own child."

Jack tensed as if a knife had cut him instead of his daughter's words. He looked at her, and only found conviction written on her features. She was truly his daughter, and yet, that was the initial problem now.

He sighed and met her eyes. "Five years... I only just found out the bare minimum five years ago. The doctor pulled your mother and I to his lab, shortly after I named you my heir-"

"Heiress, Papa. The correct term is 'heiress'."

"R-Right. He met with us and told us how he brought you to life. I was angry, Thorn. I thought he'd betrayed me as well by putting my little girl in danger just to give me a child. I was scared for you. I wanted to save you, my only child, from what the doctor predicted.

"But you've risen above that, risen above the danger, and you're growing into the status your birth gave you while at the same time maintaining a kind heart, just like your mother. You are not the child who gave you life; you are Thorn Skellington, daughter of my wife and I. You're not anything less."

Jack put a bony hand on top of his daughter's head, and tried to soothe her with soft pets, but Thorn could only sob.

"Papa," she choked, "do you think I'll...ruin Halloween Town?"

"No," he replied. "I really don't believe you will. You're such a sweet, intelligent young lady. Even angry, I firmly believe, as your papa, you don't have the heart to do anything short of being the happy young girl who makes her parents so proud."

Father and daughter simply embraced as Thorn wept into Jack's shoulder. Her heart was full of emotion and her head was aching from confusion and grief.

 _I hope you're right, Papa,_ she thought through her tears. _I really want to make you proud of me, but I'm scared. I'm scared of what the doctor told me. What if he's right about me?_

She clung to her father, and later her mother when she came in and saw what was happening, but even then, she was no longer safe.

On the outskirts of town, in an abandoned cliff-side manor long since vacated and falling apart, dark shadows stirred. The wind hissed throughout as if the haunts of the older days could still be found there.

There, in an old room that held many devices for torture, a trio sat in a sort of circle, facing each other.

"I don't think we should do this a third time. I mean, Jack gave us another chance after the last time we screwed up, and I don't want to be banished from the town. Sure, the town hall bonfire was fun, but..."

"Lock, trust me. We've tapped into this sort of thing before. I have the feeling if we-"

"For once, I agree with Lock. This is dark, and you know it. We have a good life, and that kind of thing makes us worse than he ever was."

All three clammed up in fear. They never spoke his name anymore. Many years had passed since he fell the second time, and it was best to let his memory die with him.

"Are you guys scared?"

"Yes."

The two who answered together showed no hesitation.

"Pfft. Funny. I'm not saying we turn into that jackass, but I am saying, with this, we won't be alone anymore. No one likes us or trusts us, and I think we need to show them we can be better. Even better than their little princess."

The speaker, a young man dressed in a skeleton costume, raised the knife to his hand, and he whispered the name all three loathed to even think about anymore, the name they had been too afraid to ever speak.

"Mr. Oogie Boogie."

* * *

 **Just in time for Halloween.**

 **I will continue working on this fan fiction, because it's not done yet, and as I have other fan fictions that I've put off for the sole purpose of dedicating my Halloween season to this one, I will continue on with the others that I've so painfully put on the back burner for a month or so.**


	11. Let's Have An Experiment

Almost two years had come to pass.

Thorn was finally seventeen years old, and at that point so heavily favored Jack she might as well have been his clone. She still looked like Sally, but she too easily favored Jack.

Things had been different since she found out the truth of her birth. Her powers had fully developed, she thought, and while she'd regained her previous curiosity and love of fear-inducing, she'd changed. She'd become more resolved, more silent, yet more easily distracted. Her intense need to experiment was often short-lived.

Many chalked it up to the possibility she was becoming an adult, and growing up.

Jack wasn't so sure, but he didn't dismiss the possibility either.

Time had helped Thorn's anxieties about her powers, and she'd realized that the circumstances of her birth were nothing to be ashamed of. However, she hadn't completely bounced back. She was still in shock after years of knowing, and she could only imagine that her parents felt the same when they found out.

"Thorn, your book is slipping from your hands," her father said one foggy evening as everyone sat in the family room.

"Oh. Sorry, Papa," Thorn replied, pulling the book back into view.

"Is everything all right, fright sprite? You seem upset about something."

"No, I'm all right, Papa."

Jack's eyes were narrowed slightly, but he nodded a little. Thorn had withdrawn into herself since he told her the truth, and she wasn't as keen as becoming his heir anymore, either. It was as if...she was scared to take up the mantle now that the horrible knowledge was put in her mind.

"Why don't we head to the doctor's lab this evening, and let's see what sort of experiments you can create on a dime, for old time's sake?"

As a child, Thorn had often run to Dr. Finklestein's lab in the middle of the night. At first, she sneaked away, but then her father always caught her. Eventually, they made it a bonding exercise. Her bonding times with her mother were often in clothes making and sewing, especially when it came to sewing herself back together most efficiently, and in the fastest way possible. Sometimes, though, she'd OK Thorn skipping this for a night at the lab if she felt it was necessary.

However, as the years passed, Thorn felt less of a need to and more of a need to explore her powers while they were still growing and developing. Like a child.

A shudder went down her spine.

"Y-Yeah. I think that'll be fine. I've wanted to test velocity and trajectory readings on something anyway."

Her shock wave. The one she used before she found out about herself at the pumpkin patch against the arsonist trio. She asked her father once she'd come back to herself if he saw anybody there that day, but he said the only things he noticed were her and the skeleton army he once fought against.

He'd then proceeded to tell Thorn many stories. About the year he almost ruined Christmas, the maniac called Oogie Boogie who died and rose again, Oogie's takeover of Halloween Town and the years it took to restore everything, and the final defeat.

But tonight was about testing her powers in a scientific setting. It was something only she could do; if anyone else tried, she'd lose control and her shadow manipulation would turn against the trigger.

"Come along, then." Jack rose from his seat, putting his book down on the end table beside his chair and making Zero lift his head from where he lay. "Sally, we'll be back late!"

"Be careful," came Sally's call from downstairs, probably her and Jack's bedroom.

Thorn only put her book down and followed her father out the door, not saying a word.


	12. Trigger Warning

"Jack, Thorn. My, my, it's unusual to see you two here together anymore," Dr. Finklestein said when the two walked through the door. "I was hoping for it, however. I've been needing to run some tests on Thorn's vitals and-"

"Actually, Doctor," Thorn interrupted, "I check my vitals daily, and I'm fine, just a bit fatigued every now and again. I have a different experiment I'd like to undergo tonight."

Jack looked at her with a confused, worried, yet stern-like look all in one. He had no idea what she was referring to, but Thorn hadn't mentioned her intentions before they arrived at the lab. The only way she showed any emotion as of late was in secret, and whatever her intentions were, he was highly concerned.

"Is that so? Well, then, what would you like to test tonight, young Miss Thorn?"

"My powers, and the strength, power, and speed in which they exhibit, along with other factors involving my physical responses, and other specifications I need to narrow down for my own well-being and person knowledge."

Jack's eyes narrowed at last. He understood. "Thorn, are you sure you should do that?" he asked.

"Yes, Papa. I think it's time I figured out the variables for myself. I need to know exactly what I'm dealing with and the implications of these powers, to myself and other people."

"Then let's begin. Now, we'll have to approach this using different stimuli, to..."

The doctor and Thorn went into the scientific terms and plans for the experiments, to get the best and most concise results. As they did, there was a feeling in Thorn's body, almost like blood boiling. She didn't feel well; in fact, she felt horribly ill, and regretful. Almost angry.

She couldn't back down though. Instead, she tried coaxing her nerves. She pulled something small out of her pockets.

It was a framed picture of her and her parents all together. Her parents were on either side of her, and the face of her eleven-year-old self was smiling back at her excitedly. Her mother was giggling on the left side of the picture, and her father was petting her hair to the right.

The horrible feeling died down slowly, and she was ready.

"Let's begin."

 _Hours later..._

Thorn was breathless. She was shaking all over.

"This doesn't look good. Thorn, I think you need to slow down, now. You're causing too much stress on your body, and it can't cope with it much longer."

"I...can do it...Doctor..."

"No, Thorn, you need to stop before you tear yourself apart needlessly. You're putting too much strain on your body, and it's not coping well. I can see the leaves you were stuffed with."

"I'm a rag doll. I can...pull myself back together...again."

"Thorn, listen to the doctor and stop," Jack intervened, his voice snippy and stern like a parent's normally should.

Thorn only looked at her father, her gaze hollow. How could he understand? How could anyone understand? She wanted to understand herself, the curse they'd placed on her from the moment of her animation.

"Don't...tell me...what to do!"

Her feet rimmed with shadows dangerously.

"Doctor, get back," Jack said, noticing immediately. But instead of waiting for the doctor to listen, he dragged him to cover as quickly as possible as a shock wave exploded from Thorn's feet.

"I. Am not. A DAMN CHILD ANYMORE!"

The shadows darted madly, and started stretching out to reach her. Jack reached out to her, but she was gone. Her rage was exploding, and there was an air about her, something sick...and yet something oddly familiar.

Jack's heart sank, and his eyes grew.

"Thorn, no!"


	13. His Final Comeback

The room went dark. Shadows attached themselves to Thorn, starting with her hands and feet and slowly spreading all over her body. Her features were the only noticeable outline she had, and only barely just. Even her eye sockets were invisible.

Jack stared in horror. His fright sprite, his heiress apparent, his own daughter, had become a monster unlike any he'd ever seen, even Oogie Boogie years ago.

Yet this...

This wasn't his daughter. Not really. Thorn was a sweet girl, one who was endlessly curious and happy, and was so bright and creative that even Dr. Finklestein had to tell her slow down on occasion. She would climb to the top of Town Hall or higher just to prove she wasn't afraid, and she stayed up all night reading to Zero as he slept by the fire. She'd collect herbs with her mother, and conduct so many experiments with her father to plan for Halloween each year that she'd get hyper and excited. That was really Thorn.

This shadow "beast", however, was not Thorn. This thing...it was dangerous. It was more familiar with each passing moment, and Jack knew he had to do something about it before Thorn paid the price for it.

"THORN!"

He ran up to her, his strides long and desperate, with a bony hand outstretched to his only child, before something darted towards him and attacked his hand. Instinctively, Jack pulled his hand back and watched the ground where the thing, the shadows, attacked, and a familiar, haunting voice called out to him mockingly:

"Not this time, Jack!"

"No...!"

Stretching off of Thorn, and with her hitting the ground, the shadows accumulated in front of her, moving and creating a form Jack could all too easily remember.

"OOGIE!"

"Nice to see you again, Jack. I'm grateful for the warm welcome," Oogie taunted, leaning in as he spoke. He then turned to Thorn's limp figure on the ground, and a puzzled look crossed his face. "Who's this little doll?" he asked blankly, reaching towards Thorn, before something green and sharp whipped his side and made him cry out.

Jack used that opportunity to get to Thorn, holding his daughter protectively in his arms as he spun the Soul Robber around menacingly.

"OOOOOOOOHHHHH, now I see! Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, has a little doll for a daughter! Bone Man is really Bone Daddy now!"

"Touch her, I'll banish you to hell where you belong."

"Ooh, so scary! We'll see who's going to hell, Jack, when I bring this entire holiday to its knees."

"You'll do no such thing. Now, get out, and stay out like you belong."

Oogie's laughter erupted, echoing around the lab. "You've got a lot of gall to be bossing me around anymore. It took a lot for me to get brought back this time, you know, with such useless henchmen, but fine. I'll leave for now to gather some supplies. My thanks to you and yours for the final comeback."

With that, he disappeared, and Thorn no longer felt so cold in Jack's grip.

Oogie was back... And he figured he had help coming back from three people he thought he could trust with one last chance. Now Thorn, his precious daughter, was in danger, being the source of the shadows which gave Oogie new life once again.

"Jack," Dr. Finklestein barked, "get her home. There's nothing more we can do here, and with _him_ back... Well, she's no longer safe."

"What about you, Doctor?" Jack protested. "When he came back before-"

"I'm aware of what happened, my boy. Igor and I have taken every measure possible to ensure I'm not ensnared by him or the like ever again. You can trust that.

"However, your priority is your daughter. See to her first."

Jack needed no more than that. He took his daughter, and fled back home as fast as his legs could carry him.


	14. Strain

Starting days after, Thorn wasn't allowed to be unsupervised when leaving the house. She could no longer go alone, anywhere, despite essentially being an adult. Even Zero wasn't enough of an escort.

She felt her body burn in anger and humiliation. Her father had turned from understanding to paranoid.

Were her powers really out of control? Did he no longer trust her?

Everything was foggy from when she conducted the experiments in the lab, and she woke up back home with her parents, once again, looming over her. The feeling of being a helpless damsel was so annoying.

If she could only find a way to make it stop...

One foggy January evening, Thorn was sitting alone in the family room, reading one of her favorite books beside the fireplace as it illuminated the entire room. Zero lay loyally at her feet, sleeping soundly. The only sounds to be heard was the crisp snap of a turning page and the crackle of the fire. This quiet allowed Thorn's mind to wander freely, without restraint.

Maybe her parents feared her powers, and the talk she'd had with her father right before the incident at the lab that rendered her memory unreliable was a lie. Maybe he did see her as the downfall of Halloween Town.

It burned in her.

 _How could they think that? How in God's name could they not trust me? I've done nothing for them to fear me._

But maybe she didn't have to do anything...

"Thorn? Are you home?"

The sound of her mother's voice only did so much to calm the dark storm in Thorn's heart. Still, lashing out at her, when she was innocent, didn't sit right with her. If anything, her father was really the guilty one.

"Yes, Mama, I'm in the family room with Zero," she finally replied.

Her mother poked her head into the room slowly before walking in slowly. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked.

"Fine," Thorn said flatly, returning her attention to her book. _Now go away. I don't want to be around you guys. No offense, Mama._

"I'm glad to hear that," Sally continued, "since you've been at the house for several weeks. Maybe you should get some fresh air?"

Of course. At times since the incident, her parents encouraged her to go out and stretch, but only if someone could be with her. In her unamusement, the room darkened only slightly, but she tried still to keep reading.

"Open a window, then," Thorn snapped.

Sally's expression turned to hurt. "Sweetheart," she began, but Thorn cut her off with a slam of her book.

"I don't feel like inconveniencing someone to babysit me while I take a light stroll. No. If I want fresh air, I can open a damn window."

"Thorn! Language!"

"I'm basically an adult now. So, I think I'm within my rights to curse every once in a while."

She then reopened her book and proceeded to read again, clearly done with the conversation. Her mother's presence stayed in the room a few long moments more, before she finally left, though the hurt she clearly felt still remained. Thorn was alone otherwise once more.

 _Good. Maybe now, I can have some peace and quiet._

All things considered, she didn't hate her parents. She was just angry and hurt. She wanted her freedom back, the independence she could easily demonstrate, and that she longed to have again.

Not only that, but she didn't feel like she could trust her parents anymore. It hurt her to know that they didn't trust her to run around on her own anymore.

"Some day," she whispered. "Some day, they'll stop, and they'll apologize for this and everything will be right again."

 _Some weeks later..._

March.

The beginning of spring was upon Halloween Town, and with it, plenty of rain to add to the already dreary atmosphere.

In time, Thorn had become a hermit, reclusing herself to her bedroom and either reading or performing tiny experiments on a hand-me-down chemistry set she'd been gifted for her twelfth birthday. In secret, she'd sneak out of the house in the black of night in order to practice using her powers in a controlled environment. It had taken time, but she finally started to understand her powers and their effects, even with her emotions.

Jack and Sally, unknowing of her secret excursions, both feared for her, but they refused to relent on an escort, which further drove Thorn to reclusiveness. Finally, the time had come where Jack had had enough.

"You need to get out of the house," he scolded as his daughter sat on the floor, back facing him, working on a concoction of unknown specifications and qualities. "At this point, it's been months since the incident, and-"

"Are you done?" Thorn interrupted. "Your voice may set off the potion I'm working on. It's extremely volatile still and I'd like to concentrate, if you wouldn't mind."

Jack's anger burned throughout the room at her snip, but Thorn was unimpressed. She had become much more terrifying than he was, and acted like a bored child around him as of late. Her skills were developing quickly, almost too quickly, but Jack could not back down.

"Thorn Skellington, you look at me when I'm speaking to you, and you do not interrupt OR disregard me!"

Finally, Thorn set her work down, and rose to her feet. She was at her father's chin now, and almost done growing, but she was still just as lanky and frightening, possibly more so. It only solidified more as the shadows darkened the room a bit.

Her patience had run out.

"I'm sorry for any inconvenience I might have caused you. Perhaps I should inconvenience someone else to babysit an almost 18-year-old for five minutes, because her parents are so overprotective, untrusting, and PARANOID, that they can't even let their almost adult daughter out and about on her own, or take care of herself, all because of some mistakes from the past!"

Jack was stunned to silence, but Thorn wasn't done.

"And to make matters worse, you guys are afraid of me. Don't lie to me; I can tell you are. I can control my powers. I've been practicing even in this room out of sight. It's just when I get angry, I can't control every variable. I'm young; I'm not supposed to understand everything, let alone something as big as this, and I don't need to be sheltered just because of some big, bad psychopath that YOU can't properly get rid of for good!

"I may be your daughter, but I am not you, and the sooner you back off and let me be again, the smoother things will go, and the happier we'll all be again. Because I am miserable, Papa, and I know you know why that is.

"Now, get out. I have work to complete, and you guys setting me off like this may make it react."

She said no more, and sank back down to the floor, picking up her at-home chemistry project and ignoring her father completely.


	15. Darkness and Reconciliation

_I'm done being your little poppet._

 _I'm done staying a prisoner of expectation._

 _I want to be free._

 _I want to BE FREE!_

* * *

"Hmmm... So it seems Jack's precious little princess is finally at her wit's end, eh?"

"Y-Yes, sir. It would seem that way, yeah."

"This should make for an eventful game, I'd say. Looks like I might be able to take Bone Man down after all. All I gotta do is get to that little girl of his, then I'm golden."

The three young adults cowering in the corner said nothing. They knew the dark mass was plotting, and interrupting him would be violent, possibly deadly.

They regretted their decision to bring him back. They knew if Jack had found out what they'd done, they'd be banished for good, no more redemption. The girl had even said so, but the boy with the green hair was stupid, profoundly so, and so stubborn he couldn't be reasoned with. Eventually, he regretted what he'd done, but it was too late to turn back.

"Shock."

"Yes, sir?" A sharp, fast response.

"I want you to figure out what you can about our little doll princess. Gain her trust if needed. Then report back. I wanna see Jack squirm under my heel, and this I know is the way to get it done."

The three said nothing at first, but then one, and only one, spoke.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Oogie."

* * *

 _ **BOOM!**_

The explosion was tiny, but loud.

Thorn grinned from ear to ear. She'd been working on this concoction for weeks, and she was starting to perfect the formula.

She had not relented on her parents for a second after finally breaking and confronting her father. Any time they came close, she dashed off like a frightened cat, refusing to speak to them unless absolutely necessary. The solitude helped her focus her resolve.

Still...

She missed the times she sat sewing with her mother, or helping in Halloween preparations with her father, or even sitting in the family room with Zero curled up beside the fireplace and melancholy tunes echoed off every wall. In all her rage, there was loneliness.

Her grin had faded, replaced with a sorrowful, empty stare.

 _Knock! Knock!_

"Thorn? Do you have a spare minute? I wanted to discuss something with you."

Her father.

For a moment, Thorn hesitated. She hadn't really spoken to him since her argument with him. But then again, if she refused to speak to him at all, things could never go back to normal, and the pain could never heal properly. Someone had to give.

And she decided it would be her.

"Come in. Just mind your volume, if you'd please," she answered gently.

The door almost made no sound as her father walked in, his face serious but just as somber as his daughter's.

"Your mother and I have been talking," he began, "and we realized that... You're right. You are essentially an adult now, and as much as we fear for your safety, what we've done is wrong, and I'm sorry. I've been unreasonable and unfair to you.

"Therefore, you no longer need to walk with someone. I'm giving you the independence you need for your age."

Thorn's eye sockets opened more, and when she saw no doubt in her father's, her own went wide.

She was finally free again.

Without hesitation, she jumped up, wrapping her long arms around her father, who returned her hug instantly.

"Thank you, Papa," she sighed. "That's all I wanted."

"I'm so sorry, fright sprite," Jack whispered. "I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you, and for not trusting you as I should have. I hope in time, you can forgive me for how I wronged you."

"I can, Papa. I can forgive you, and I do."

They stayed hugging, not moving for long moments. Sally had walked past, but stopped as she saw father and daughter at last making amends. A smile found its way onto her lips.

Maybe they could live in peace again after all.

If only for now.

* * *

 **Hey guys. So, sorry this is taking so long to complete, and the chapters aren't too long. Now that I've transferred to a four-year university, and I'm really struggling to find a job, my motivation hasn't been incredibly high for my work. HOWEVER! I will finish this, by no later than Halloween of this year.**

 **Stick around if you can!**


	16. How's About A Change?

"Papa, Mama, the garden is dying!"

Thorn had gone outside the morning after her reconciliation with her father, only to find the herbs her and her mother worked so lovingly on had wilted and died. Their black, crumbling remains were scattered all over the garden and the front steps of the house. It broke Thorn's heart to see her hard work gone in a flash.

"What could have done this?" asked Sally, obviously distraught as well.

Jack lifted a tiny piece of a plant remnant, examining it closely with squinted eye sockets. The look on his face was grim, almost slightly enraged.

"Papa?" Thorn cut in, but Jack remained silent for a long moment more before he spoke at last.

"Poison. Or fire. One of the two could damage the herbs in this manner. I'll need to do some investigating, and I suppose I can apply the help of a gifted young chemist." He beamed at Thorn at the end, knowing full well her skills would be useful.

But that would not work here. Not with how badly damaged they were. Even his daughter's skills weren't that developed, even after months of only using her chemistry equipment.

"Actually, Papa, you may not even need my chemistry," Thorn sighed. "What you may really need is a hand in the dark."

She had realized over time that, if she tried hard enough, the observant shadows could store memories, of sorts. Using them, she could see what, or who, could've destroyed her hard work. She hadn't elaborated on what she could do with her parents, but maybe she could demonstrate.

Looking at the shadows in the corner of the garden, she focused her mind and waited.

A pitchfork and a pointed purple hat. Remorse hidden in forced yet stifled cackles. The dripping of liquid and the crack of fire.

"Thorn?"

Snapping back to her senses, Thorn closed her eye sockets and shook her head. She had a hard time grasping it, but it seemed the enemy was all too eager to haunt her.

It was the arsonists from years ago, the ones who burned Town Hall almost to the ground, nearly killing the mayor in the process, just to lure her away.

A shudder went down her spine. That was the day her powers awoke, the day her parents and the good Dr. Finklestein told her about her birth, the day she realized she could be the greatest ruler of Halloween Town to exist besides her father or it's worst nightmare personified.

"I know who did this," she growled at last.


	17. Judge, Jury, (Almost) Executioner

"Oh God, Jack is gonna kill us when he finds out what we did!"

"Shut up and move your tail, ya dumb-"

"Shush! He can probably hear us with all your hollering!"

The trio was running profusely, every breath forced from them and every impulse screaming. They'd listened to Oogie's directions to lure Jack's daughter out of the house, but they still regretted everything, even knowing it was too late to turn back.

"If Oogie hears we failed even slightly, I think we'll have more to fear from him than Jack."

"HEY! **YOU THREE**!"

"THERE SHE IS! RUN FASTER, MORONS!"

The trio ran harder, but something black darting from the ground whipped menacingly at their feet, making them stop dead in their tracks.

"I've got questions for you, so you are going to stand there like good little Samaritans and answer all I have to ask. Then, maybe, I'll let you go, depending on the results of this interrogation."

The girl with the purple witch's hat looked at Thorn as she stood a good distance away, black cracks of what looked like lightning pulsating around her left hand. There stood Jack's dear princess, foreboding and angry in all her terrifying splendor.

Something jerked in the witch's brain, and the same went for her two companions, and suddenly the entire street filled with their insufferable cackles.

"So, this is supposed to be the next 'ruler' of Halloween Town, boys! Get a load of this joke!" she cried.

"Yeah!" howled the boy with the skeleton mask. "She don't look so special to me! Especially given we're older anyway!"

"Get her!" screamed the last one, the boy in the devil's costume.

But before they could move even an inch from where they stood, the black mass that cracked like a whip before at them did again, keeping them at bay.

"I won't let you near me," said Thorn darkly, her hand pulsating more vigorously and dangerously. "I know you're not good for Halloween Town and it's citizens, and as Pumpkin Princess and next in line to rule this good holiday, I'm not going to let that slide!"

Darkness encircled the once erratic trio, and they stood frozen in their places. Thorn had had enough of their crimes, and though it seemed like they weren't even fully together in the head, for what they'd done, for what they could still possibly do, she had to take a stand against them and fight with everything she had. Now, after all these years, she was going to exact sweet justice.

Or was it vengeance...?

"We'll talk! We'll talk! Just don't kill us!"

"How can I trust you when you've caused so much damage already...Lock, Shock, Barrel."

There was silence. Then Thorn spoke again.

"Exactly. I know who you are. Papa told me everything about you three and your boss, which I'm guessing you allowed for the third time to come back around again. And after Papa was so ready to give you one last chance. Well, since I'm taking charge, I'm afraid there's no room in this town for traitors like you."

Screaming began to erupt from the black ball that held Lock, Shock, and Barrel in its core. Thorn had made spikes within its walls, and began to shrink the ball slowly. The effects would be like that of an iron maiden: they'd be crushed and impaled alive until they were a right bloody mess. It would be a fitting fate for the likes of them.

"Thorn, stop!"

Thorn's concentration broke suddenly, forcing the darkness back, as Jack's voice rang out across the clearing.

"You leave those three to me. You go home, and get something to relax. Now."

"But, Papa-"

"I will not take no for an answer, young lady. Now march. And as for you three..."

Jack turned his gaze to the trio, who had been attempting to sneak away while Jack distracted his daughter. But once she became aware again, her hand blackened once more, and shadows crept off the walls and corners, binding them in place and restraining them. Jack took this time to march toward them, a slimy green firmly attached to his wrist as he used it to grab them.

"You are coming with me. I think it's time we had a long talk about your futures."

He dragged their whimpering forms away, and Thorn sighed. At least someone would give them what they deserved, even if it wouldn't be her.

She paused then, and looked at her hand, which at this point was reverting to a normal state. A chill went through her body. She was going to kill them with her powers, her dangerous black arts, and all because she was angry.

Angry at the injustices they'd committed, from the burning of Town Hall when she was younger to the attack on her in the pumpkin patch to even resurrecting Oogie Boogie himself, her father's long-time and most hated rival, a being whose name further chilled her still. Still, since those three traitors had done all those things and more, some of which were repeats, it was time they finally paid the price.

But was that price their lives? Or was it something far more merciful, like what Jack probably had in store?

Shaking her head and rubbing her arms, Thorn started to skulk home, afraid of herself and her own future in a way no one, not even her, could dare try to understand.


	18. The Real Battle's In Your Head

"You haven't touched your food, dear. Are you feeling all right?"

Sally's voice sounded so distant to Thorn, who sat curled up in her chair, her dinner on the arm of the chair. She'd barely said a word since she came home, and refused to acknowledge the plate of food beside her.

Jack knew it had to do with what he'd seen: Thorn trapping Lock, Shock, and Barrel in a black mass, her face and arms turning blacker than black, a sick smile on her lips.

She scared herself something fierce if this was how she was reacting after the fact.

"I'm okay, Mama," Thorn finally whispered. "I'm just not very hungry right now. I actually think I'll call it an early night tonight."

Jack pursed his lips. "Thorn," he tried, but she stood up.

"Night, Papa."

She didn't acknowledge him further. She merely walked away, a mournful gaze set in her features.

Sally picked up the plate of uneaten food as she turned to Jack. "She hasn't been herself again, Jack," she breathed worriedly. "I'm beginning to fear the worst. What should we say to her?"

"I don't know," Jack admitted, "but for now, I think we should give her some space and time to rest. She had a rough afternoon; perhaps she just needs some time to think. We don't need to smother her again, after all. We saw what happened last time."

"You're right. I just can't help but worry. She is our only child."

Jack nodded briefly in agreement, but said nothing.

In her room, Thorn sat curled up at the foot of her bed, sobbing silently into the darkness. The shadows always heard her cries, but could never quite respond to them. It made her pain flare more, and her fear of herself grow, making the shadows fluctuate in size. It was getting hard to control her powers again, and she knew it. The knowledge scared her.

"I don't want to do it..." she cried. "I don't want to be a threat."

Her arms vibrated with darkness, but, in a state of panic, Thorn shook her arms out, making the darkness dissipate from her body. Her eye sockets were wide, a wild look on her face.

"I can't control it..."


	19. Where We're Going From Here

The months flew by, and summer in Halloween Town wasn't exactly welcoming. Fall was so close at hand, and with it, Halloween and Thorn's eighteenth birthday. Yet it was still so far out, but Jack, the Mayor, and Thorn wasted no time in preparations.

"You see, Papa? With all the leaves that are expected this year, there's a right fire hazard. Too many pyrotechnics will not only burn us out, but risk burning us alive. Maybe we should change our approach this year."

"Right you are, little fright sprite. Perhaps a bit of light manipulation with..."

"Oh, how wonderful this is going. Our Halloween will definitely be even more horrible than any other year to date!"

"That's what we strive for each year, Mayor."

Jack looked at his daughter, seeing the sincerity and passion for the craft he was to pass onto her. In a few short months, she would be ready to take over as the Halloween holiday leader, and then, he could divulge in secrets he'd neglected for years.

Other than the incidents involving Oogie Boogie, he hadn't elaborated to Thorn about the other holiday worlds, and the knowledge the leaders shared with one another to help the next in line on the calendar prepare. Ever since that one fateful night, Jack had been dealing with such matters since he accidentally almost ruined Christmas so long ago, but now, as his heiress apparent, Thorn could have access to this sensitive information that he could entrust with no other, not even the mayor.

"Mayor, may we pause for a break? I think my daughter and I need to have a private conversation about something," Jack said, interrupting everything.

The Mayor's head turned from his happy face to his sad in confusion. "But Jack...!" he wailed.

"Now, Mayor. This is important. We will get right back into the swing of things when we've discussed this important subject."

A pause from the Mayor caused his head to turn back to happy, and with a simple nod, he scurried off to Town Hall, which had been fully rebuilt after the fire three years prior.

Now, Thorn looked at her father. "Am I in trouble, Papa?" she asked.

Jack shook his head. "No," he replied. "As you are very well aware, this year, you turn eighteen years old."

"Uh huh."

"I think the time has come, and you are ready to take my place."

Thorn froze. She'd forgotten. She was his heiress, next in line to become holiday leader.

How could she have forgotten? She'd been preparing for this day essentially her whole life. She was becoming even better at scaring than her own father, and that was without the use of her powers, which she kept secret from everyone except her parents and Dr. Finklestein. She had a fully developed banshee wail, she moved silently as the grave, her jump scare factor was the highest in Halloween Town, and, partially due to her powers, she developed a way of blending in with the shadows despite having bone white hair and almost pure white cloth skin. She also had an affinity of using darkness to ensnare the mind to sacrifice information about a person's fears.

Truly, Thorn was the most unstoppable force of terror in existence, just as her father dreamed.

Although she did show restraint, so as to prevent any premature deaths. She didn't want that added to her name, unlike her father, who'd "frightened millions into an early grave".

"I don't know, Papa," she admitted quietly. "I don't know if I'm actually ready for this. Maybe in a few years?"

Jack was bewildered at Thorn's response. His mind flashed back to the days when Thorn was little, and she was so excited to be just like him. Ever since the day she found out who and what she really was, her desires had disappeared, though her talents only grew stronger.

"Thorn, I see that you're more than ready for this, even if you don't yourself. I'm your father; I've watched you grow up and develop your ability. You are the number one scarer in all of Halloween Town, on top of how dedicated you are to the citizens and their well being. I believe this year, for the festival, will be the year you are named the Halloween holiday leader."

There was no changing his mind. He was setting up the preparations, she assumed, and Thorn would finally take his place. All her accumulated knowledge, all her fear factor, all her power, it would finally be applied and put to the test by her citizens.

She only sighed, feeling resigned and defeated.

"Okay, Papa. I'll do it, if it'll make you proud."

* * *

The sound of dice echoed in the empty, ruined halls of the manor, the source of this wearing a scowl across his shadowy face.

"Those three became so useless over the years," he growled. "I asked them to gain her trust, and she turned back to her father and they ended up banished for good like a bunch of no-good useless idiots."

He pursed his lips for a moment, but then scowled once again, continuing to toss his dice in the air. "And as I am, if I get close to her, she can kill me easily. As a shadow, at least. I'm gonna need my old body or something like it quick."

His black heart only grew at the thought of making his final comeback. This time, he'd ruin Jack and his legacy, one way or another. This time, his last chance of redemption (in his sick, twisted manner), he had to come on top, even if it meant killing Jack and his precious little doll princess once and for all.


	20. All Hail the Pumpkin Queen

"Look at everything, Papa! It all turned out so well!"

"It really is a wonderful sight, fright sprite. You've done so well for this year."

"Mama, come see! You inspired the idea for this year's festival!"

"Oh, wow, I see!"

Thorn took her mother's hand and led her around the square. Jack stayed back, smiling proudly at the hard work his daughter had accomplished. He let out a light sigh. It was finally the day. At last, Jack could step down, retire, and pass on his legacy to Thorn. The time had come.

"I know she's ready. She's been ready for this for a long time. I just hope her secret can remain in the shadows, for her safety."

After the party and the traditional Halloween show, everyone gathered towards Town Hall for the biggest moment of the night: Thorn's inauguration and coronation as Pumpkin Queen.

Jack, Sally, and the Mayor were standing on the stage as all the citizens of Halloween Town filed in slowly, taking their seats and preparing for the big event. Thorn, on the other hand, was hiding away backstage, nerves rattling and hands tipping black. She was gripping her left wrist tightly, trying to control the shadows that were eating at her hands. It helped slightly, though not by much.

"Thorn, are you ready? It's-"

Jack's words cut off as Thorn whipped to look at him wildly, desperately trying to hide her hands. Jack frowned. "Thorn, what's the matter?" he asked gently.

She hadn't mentioned to her father that she was starting to lose control of her powers the closer she got to this moment in time.

She was afraid. She was afraid of herself and what she could do, after what happened with Lock, Shock, and Barrel. It bothered her insatiably. She couldn't sleep some nights because of it.

Her mouth opened in an O shape as she fought to get words out.

"Papa, I-"

"Please tell me the truth."

There was an awkward silence between them for a moment. It was hard to swallow or breathe with the weight of the situation. This carried on seemingly forever until finally, Thorn resigned.

"I can't control my powers. Not right now. I'm too afraid I'll mess this up, and Dr. Finklestein's prediction would come to reality."

Jack paused, only briefly, before marching up to embrace his frightened daughter.

"You will only fail if you allow yourself to fail. I know you have the capability to be the greatest leader in the history of Halloween Town, far greater than even myself."

Thorn stared at him, but could say nothing as he continued.

"I have always believed in your abilities, and I have always believed in your willpower and the strength of your heart. I refuse to believe that you're anything less than wonderful. I do not understand first hand what you're going through, because I myself don't experience what you do, but I do know that you, Thorn Skellington, are the strongest and bravest young woman to exist in our history.

"Now, I will be giving a speech to introduce you and explain what is happening for this event. Take a second, and show me a sign with your shadows when you're ready to come out onto the stage."

With that, he released Thorn, and stepped back onto the stage to begin speaking.

Thorn began to focus on her breathing slowly. Her father's words calmed her heart, and the shadows eating her hands dissipated away. She kept echoing his words in her mind, slowly and clearly trying to maintain some sense of reality.

Here she was, Thorn Skellington, daughter of Jack and Sally Skellington, heiress apparent and next holiday leader. Soon, as soon as she stepped out on that stage, she'd become Halloween holiday leader and Pumpkin Queen.

Breathing deeply through her mouth, she used her powers to dim the lights.

Her father took her cue.

"Ladies and gentlemen, ghost and ghouls, creatures from all over, may I now present your new Halloween leader: Thorn Skellington!"

Slowly and shakily, despite the effort to try and be calm, Thorn stepped out from behind the curtain and listened to the entire town cheer for her. Her parents on her right side, the Mayor on her left, the town before her.

The time had come to take her father's place.

"Miss Thorn Skellington, you stand now before your peers to take on the role as Pumpkin Queen of Halloween Town, and lead the town itself in all Halloween celebrations and aspects," the Mayor declared. "Here we are now to welcome you and accept you as our new leader. Do you stand to take this title from the one before you?"

Thorn swallowed briefly. Every eye was on her. She breathed so deeply, her head spun, before she gave a tiny nod. "I accept the title of Pumpkin Queen," she whispered.

Jack stepped forward now, in his hands a black necklace in the shape of a spider. A brilliant black diamond with two red rubies in the shape of an hourglass adorned the spider's back. He put this around Thorn's neck, letting her take a second to pause and admire the beauty of it's surface.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Queen of Shadows, the dame of darkness, the bane of banshees: our new Pumpkin Queen, Thorn Skellington!"

The crowd roared in applause, and Thorn blanched in response. She felt lightheaded; her head was spinning violently.

Something was wrong.

"Papa..."

Jack looked over at Thorn, and upon seeing her face, he tensed up, right before the lights started to flicker violently, more so than Thorn's initial panic.

People cried out in surprise and panic. Jack grabbed his wife and daughter in an effort to keep them safe, the Mayor hiding behind them. Thorn's wide eyes were on the center of the crowd, where a black mass started to form.

In that moment, her panic turned to fury.

It was Oogie, back again, and here he was in all his horrifying agony.


	21. Slip of the Wrist

"Well, well, well... What have we here?"

The citizens all stepped back, as far from Oogie as they could physically managed, as he slowly approached the stage. He was mindful, calculated. Thorn saw something in his eyes, something that she couldn't quite place.

"Seems like things are quiet around here, Jack," he began, a coldness in his voice as he finally slowed to a stop. "It's a little _too_ quiet around here, if you ask me. Come on, Jack. You're supposed to be the scariest man alive, yet it seems to me you've been falling a bit behind."

Thorn stomped forward, but Jack held her back. "Why don't you actually stay dead for once, you overgrown pest?" she snarled. "Come on and face your new leader like a man!"

"Thorn, please," Jack snapped in a hushed voice.

Oogie pursed his lips in intrigue. "Oh, so you stepped down, bone man? This little twerp is supposed to be your next in line? When she can barely control herself?" His cruel laughter echoed in the Town Hall, chilling everyone to the bone. Thorn paused, but she didn't let it take her long. Not her, the new Pumpkin Queen. Instead, she broke from her father's grip and bound forward, him charging after and causing Oogie to noticeably tense up. She didn't get close enough before her father's bony hand seized her wrist.

This caused Oogie to visibly relax.

But Thorn could still reach him.

The room darkened rapidly, causing confusion from the townsfolk and Mayor, and panic from Jack, Sally, and even Oogie himself. With a snap in her elbow, Thorn threw these shadows at Oogie, who tried desperately to dodge them. The townsfolk all cried out, stunned, shocked, and terrified, but Thorn couldn't finish. She was not going to let another chance escape her.

She was preparing another attack, but Jack finally restrained her in a manner to where she couldn't move much, thus forcing her to calm down.

Oogie disappeared while he had the chance, and all eyes were on Thorn at last.

Her secret was out.


	22. Chaos

Her heart stopped in her chest. At least, it felt like such. Every eye bore into her, confused, scared, and angry. Her father had finally released her, yet she stayed motionless.

What could she say? What could she do?

 _What they must think of me,_ she thought bitterly. _I finally slipped up, and now I have to answer for what happened._

"Thorn," the Mayor croaked, his face turned to sad. "What on Earth was that, just now...? What...what did you just do?"

 _Lost control of my powers and my temper again? Exposed myself for what I really am? Shamed my father and the title I just inherited from him? Disgraced the very holiday and people I'm now supposed to represent?_

There was nothing she could say that would provide any clarification to the townspeople. She had never revealed her powers to anyone except her parents and Dr. Finklestein until now, and she only did because she lost the battle with her anger and attacked, blindly, without thinking or remorse. Even if it was Oogie Boogie back for a rematch, again, what right did she have as Pumpkin Queen to lash out in front of her people?

The only thing she could stand to do was run, and run she did.

"Wait, Thorn!"

Her parents calling her name didn't stop her flight. She bolted with all the strength and emotion she had in her body. Her heart was breaking.

She'd warned her father. She'd told him she wasn't ready to be Pumpkin Queen yet. It wasn't a matter of her skills; it was the lack of control she had of herself and her powers.

Tears streaked down her face, and she let out a horrible wail, as she bolted farther and farther from town into the woods.

Back in Town Hall, Jack was trying with everything he had to corral the townspeople's attention. He was desperate to explain himself and his daughter's actions.

"People, please! Lend me your ears! Let me explain!"

Finally, after some effort, the people of Halloween Town trained haunted eyes on Jack.

"Thorn did not mean for what happened to transpire. She is not used to her abilities yet, and cannot control them very well!"

"What abilities?"

People murmured agreement, seeking clarification. Jack was hesitant to answer; this was his daughter's trusted secret, one he himself never divulged or even truly understood. He doubted even she grasped the nature of her power.

With a brief sigh, he began:

"Thorn has a way with the darkness and the shadows. She can use them, control them, tame them as she sees fit. Her powers feed into the legacy in which she was born. It helps her even be effective at terror. Yet, she only just learned of her...dark gifts recently, and thought it would be best, for herself and the terrifyingly wonderful people of Halloween Town to keep it a secret.

"Unfortunately, that secret is out. She tried desperately, in case it meant keeping this town safe. She is a wonderful young woman, hardly a real threat, but she has to learn."

He paused, letting the citizens absorb the knowledge they'd learned.

"Everyone, please. We were all young once, green around the ears and unsure of ourselves and the world around us. Thorn is no different. You've all been with her, watching as she grew or growing up alongside her. I believe this to be no different. Please, try to understand."

There was an even longer pause after he stopped. People muttered inaudibly and Sally approached Jack nervously, placing a soft hand on his forearm. "Dr. Finklestein and I can take care of things from here, if you want to find her," she whispered. "She'll need her father now, and I can come to her later, but this is for you to help her with. Go."

Jack stopped, looking at his wife in earnest, but her stubborn eyes gave no hesitation. She was determined to handle things while Jack tracked down their daughter and brought her back to her family and her people safely.

Finally, he relented, and ran in the direction Thorn last went.


	23. What Comes Next?

_I can't go back.. I can never go back..._

These were the thoughts ringing back and forth in Thorn's mind as she ran, nonstop and erratically, as far as she could go.

 _I let Mama down... I let Papa down. I let the doctor down. The mayor, the town, everyone..._

She could not be consoled. Her every breath, her every movement, there was only fear driving her now.

 _I shouldn't be Pumpkin Queen. I should've rejected the Mayor and Papa. I should've rejected the crown and gone into exile sooner. Even if no one would understand..._

She was not paying attention to where she was running anymore. Her force of will drove her forward, though her legs ached and screamed. She didn't care; she had to get as far from everyone as she could.

 _What was I thinking?!_

An uprooted tree root was the only thing that could possibly stop Thorn, and with her thudding on the ground, everything went black, but only for a brief moment. She rose to a sitting position, clutching her head in her dazed state.

She was alone, far from town without any real idea of where she was. She had never fully explored the far reaches of her Halloween world, only the town itself and the Hinterlands, the mysterious circle of trees that housed the doors of other holiday worlds, the one her father told her about as the next holiday leader. There was nowhere else for her to really run, or hide.

A whimper choked her, and her chest was heavy.

"What should I do now...?" she exhaled, her words barely coming out. "Mama, Papa..."

Her fear controlled her, more now than at any other point in her life. There was no escaping its icy, merciless grip. She knew this, and embraced its darkness, so similar to her own. It was time to let go and let the darkness consume her.

And yet...

A breeze blew through her hair then, almost tugging forcefully at her. Thorn paused. The breeze, however, continued tugging.

"Do you want...to take me somewhere?"

Thorn rose to her feet slowly, letting the wind pull her along slowly. Her steps were quiet yet deliberate, a new life being breathed into her motions. Moments before, she lay crumpled on the ground begging for answers and feeding her sorrow. Now, she just followed the wind's urgent guidance carefully and meticulously. No breath exited her; she held it as if she was afraid to release it. Although, she really had no true reason to breathe. She wasn't alive, nor was she dead.

Finally, the wind stopped.

She had been led to the Hinterlands.

"Why here?" Thorn finally asked, curious and so confused.

The wind heard her question, and led Thorn once again, to the same tree her father had approached so long ago: the door to one very special place known as Christmas Town.

Carefully, she took the knob and turned it ever so slowly, as her father before her. She looked down, but saw nothing. Just as she pulled back to stand and walk away, the wind blew with new ferocity, so much so that she was blown into the tree.


	24. Voice of Reason

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Thorn fell farther and farther down into the hole. Originally, there was darkness, but then, blue light and cold wind bit at her cloth skin. She was blinded by the light blue and white; it was almost too much for her to bear. Her senses were in overdrive and her powers started to manifest, as if to shield her from the blinding light and deafening noise. But she fought it back, not daring to let it show.

"FATHER!"

Her cry fell into nothingness, but finally, her descent came to a soft end, and she landed gently, sitting on a mound of white.

"Ugh..." she groaned softly, clutching her head. The fall made her dizzy and slightly incoherent for a moment. Then, she lifted her head, and the sight before her was unlike anything she'd ever known before.

The darkness that had once encompassed her life was replaced by a warm atmosphere, despite the cold surrounding and underneath her. The bright colors, warm music and laughs of children stretched out for miles. It was so strange to her.

"What is this?"

As she tried to stand, Thorn had her foot trapped by the white substance she was standing on, and she tumbled down the hill into another pile of the same strange white substance. She made no sound though, and popped her head out.

"Where am I...?" she asked as she rose carefully and dusted herself off. Unfortunately, she was stuck in a sitting position, restrained by the white.

"Well, I'll be. Who do we have here?"

Thorn snapped her head in the direction of the deep voice, and all she saw was red and white. Her confusion grew, but a hand wrapped in black leather greeted her instead. Sensing no ill will, Thorn reached out to take the stranger's hand, and he pulled her to her feet. Now looking up at her, the stranger laughed a little.

"I'd be willing to bet you're Jack Skellington's child, aren't you?" he asked, with a hint of annoyance at Thorn's father's name. This annoyance didn't last long, though and a soft, nostalgic smile spread across his face. "I haven't seen that skeleton man in many years, but I'm glad he took new passion in his own holiday. I ramble, though. You must be tired and confused; come with me to my home and Mrs. Claus can make you some hot chocolate. We can discuss everything there."

He said nothing more, but started to leave, forcing Thorn to follow behind him.

When they were settled by the fire in his home, he began to tell his story:

"I am the holiday leader here. I am Santa Claus, and you have traveled to Christmas Town from your home in Halloween Town. I'm guessing your father told you of this place, being holiday leader of Halloween Town."

Thorn nodded. "Not too long ago, actually, but yes, he told me," she told him.

"I met your father a long time ago, back when he decided to take over my holiday for me. While he meant well, his execution of the holiday was rather poorly done."

"Papa told me about that," Thorn finally said, "back when I was younger. And...he's not the holiday leader anymore. I am. Or, at least, I was..."

Santa paused in confusion. "Why do you say that, young lady?"

"My name is Thorn, Mr. Claus. And it's because I ran away. I have horrible power, and no one had ever known except my parents and my mom's creator. I used my powers in front of everyone, and ruined Halloween this year. So, I decided to go into exile, so I wouldn't ruin it again or put any of my citizens in danger..."

Thorn started shaking, which caused the shadows from the fire to darken around the entire room. Everything went dim, and before it consumed, Thorn took a sip of her hot chocolate, and the shadows disappeared.

"I see," Santa whispered, looking at Thorn in surprise. "You do have an...unusual gift, but it's nothing to be ashamed of, my dear. All holiday leaders have some "unusual gift" that they have that fits with their holiday."

Thorn looked at Santa then. "What?" she breathed. "That's impossible. Papa doesn't have any powers like that."

"But he does. He has powers over fire. I've seen it myself before. It was a long time ago, but it marveled me then and still does even to this day. Since then, he hasn't had to use it, though now I understand why that is. I suspect he forgot how to use it after all this time. And I myself have an "ability", shall we say, that suits my particular holiday, as it seems that you do.

"The point, young lady, is that you shouldn't be ashamed of who you are. You should be proud, as I'm sure your parents are."

Thorn finally hesitated. Her parents did mention how proud they were of her, all the time. It hurt her to hear it from an outsider looking in. Tears stung her eyes, and she fought back sobs to no avail.

"I've been so scared of myself, Mr. Claus," she whimpered. "And with Oogie back-"

Santa stood up in alarm, his pale face almost bone white. "What did you say?" he demanded, shocked.

Thorn was taken aback before she continued.

"Oogie. He's back... That's how my citizens found out about me. I attacked him in front of everyone."

"You must go back to your holiday, then. Quickly. Before that psychotic monster threatens and destroys everything once again. You must waste no time. GO!"

Thorn couldn't even collect her thoughts before Santa grabbed her, and with a blur, she was cast out of his house, and eventually she was tossed back to the Hinterlands of Halloween Town.


	25. Now You Know

Jack was growing frantic.

Thorn was nowhere to be found. He'd searched everywhere he thought she could've gone, but she wasn't there. Even Zero was helpless in finding her, and his whimpers only served to worry Jack more.

"THORN!" he cried desperately. "THORN, WHERE ARE YOU, FRIGHT SPRITE?"

He was panicked. _Where could she have gone?_ he thought. _I've searched everywhere... Except..._

The Hinterlands.

Wasting no time, he began to sprint faster than he'd ever moved in his afterlife. His search had to lead there. Since he'd told Thorn about the holiday trees months back, and showed her the Hinterlands, he'd never expected to find her there. She'd expressed no interest after that of being anywhere near them. So maybe, since that was the last place she'd expect to be found she went there.

Maybe she went to another holiday world.

"Papa?"

Thorn's tiny voice caught Jack's attention, and he whipped his head towards the direction of his daughter.

She was shivering, and covered in snow. There were tears covering her face, and her hands were black with her fighting off the control of her powers.

Not even hesitating, Jack ran over to her and held her close.

"Thorn, thank God you're not hurt. I was so afraid something would happen when you ran off like that. But where did this snow come from? It hasn't snowed here but..."

He stopped as Thorn looked over at the Christmas Town door. "I met him, Papa," she replied. "He told me to come back and face Oogie head on. He told me that I'm just like the other holiday leaders with my powers, even you."

Jack's eye sockets were on her, and he realized he knew exactly what she meant.

"I did," he began, "have control over fire once upon a time. After defeating Oogie for the second time, something in me changed. I can no longer use that power, and that hasn't changed no matter how hard I tried to make it change. Then you were born, and you developed your own powers, though for an entirely different reason. The life you were given to bring you to life had a hand in that, and it seems like you're coming to terms with it."

"Maybe," said Thorn softly. "Mr. Claus told me about your fire powers. Why didn't you tell me yourself?"

"Because they were gone long before you were born, like I'd said. I don't have them anymore, thus I don't quite sympathize with you like I could've, say, five or so years before you were born."

Thorn looked at him blankly. "So, sometimes holiday leaders lose their powers, or they blend them in a way to where it seems natural for their holiday."

Jack nodded. "You're the only one who's ever stood out with your power. That's why everyone was so alarmed that you showed evidence of powers they don't have themselves. Your mother and I talked to them, and I'm sure they'll realize you're not a threat, but the greatest leader to come in the history of Halloween Town. Just like Dr. Finklestein told you years ago."

Thorn couldn't speak. Her heart was heavy. She tried to find the words to speak, but before she could-

"Hurry, Jack!"


	26. Time to End This

The maniacal laughter rang everywhere. The people were desperate to hide, to get away from it before the owner could destroy them once again. Sally and Dr. Finklestein were the first to leave, with Sally doing everything she could to keep the doctor safe from his wrath this time.

Jack and Thorn managed to return to the town square as the ground began to tremble a bit.

"Papa!" Thorn cried out, reaching out her hand to her father.

"I know!" Jack responded, taking his daughter's hand in an effort to steady her. "I know you're afraid! But I know you're strong enough to fight though this. We fight together this time, Thorn. I won't let you face him alone."

Thorn's face changed then, from fear to determined anger and resolution. She nodded, and once the ground steadied, they faced Town Hall with horrible glares.

"It's time for his final curtain call."

"And this time, he won't ever come back."

Thorn smirked at her father. "Two Skellingtons facing the greatest monster Halloween Town has ever harbored. The current and former holiday royalty. I don't think he could come back from the beating he's due."

Jack's face lit up with pride, and with a fire in his smile, he pulled up his sleeve, revealing a green slime wrapped around his bony wrist. "I never thought I'd have to truly use the Soul Robber again, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

Thorn's hands resonated with black energy, and her grin rivaled her own father's. "Then I suppose it's time we take on this overgrown pest together, and hold nothing back."

With a nod in agreement and an evil grin on father and daughter, they approached Town Hall in unison to finally rid the world of the greatest monster in history.


	27. Ready to Rumble?

"Jack Skellington! How wonderful of you to finally show up! And look, you brought some backup this time! Planning on making your kid carry your dust out of here, bone man?"

The taunt stoked the fire in Thorn's heart. But she was doing her best to maintain her composure. There was no sense in losing her cool, not just yet.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Oogie, but I'm not the one who you should be dealing with right now," Jack replied, his tone sarcastic and cold. "You have to answer to the holiday leader, and I believe she can handle this from here."

Thorn took that cue to step forward, staring the shadow figure down with an anger unlike anything she'd ever felt. It wasn't blind, however; it felt like a righteous fury, like that of a god punishing a horrible sinner.

Oogie only met her gaze and laughed. "This little doll thinks she can beat me?" he snarled. "This shrimp? She can't even keep her composure!"

Thorn stepped closer, and when she closed in, Oogie backed away.

She figured it out. His weakness. If she could get close enough, she could tear apart the shadows that kept Oogie together, and banish him once and for all. She could quell his angry spirit.

 ** _NO!_** _Stop it!_

"What?"

There wasn't much time between Thorn's startled response and the world fading around her. The only thing she could gather was the sound of her father's voice calling her name, and the sounds of a battle about to take place.

* * *

 **Okay, people. This fanfiction is coming to a close very soon, and I apologize for the short chapters. I'm trying to find motivation while trying to survive until spring break at university.**

 **I will tie everything from this fanfiction together in the ending chapters, so don't worry. I hope the climax is enjoyable for you!**


	28. Be Free

Everything was black.

Her father was gone. Oogie was gone. There was nothing to be seen for miles. Everything was empty, silent.

"Papa...?" she called out. Her voice echoed endlessly.

"PAPA?"

"He can't come here. No one can but you."

An unfamiliar voice, soft yet broken. Almost like a terrified child.

"Who's there?" Thorn called, her hands darkening slowly as she prepared an attack. However, for some reason, this did not last, and the darkness dissipated immediately. This shocked her as immediately as her powers went away.

"What...?"

"You can't do that here. Not against me, anyway. Remember, I'm the reason you have that power in the first place."

Finally, Thorn could see who she was with, who she was talking to.

It was a girl, younger than she was, but not by much. Her hair was black and her eyes had a sunken, sorrowful look. All over her, there were cuts and scars, and permanent tear stains coated her once innocent face. It was obvious that the poor girl had been murdered.

"Who are you?" Thorn whispered.

"I don't remember my name," the girl replied. "But I've been with you for the last eighteen years. I know who you are, Thorn. I'm your soul, the reason you came to life."

Thorn nodded. "Dr. Finklestein told me a few years ago that he used the soul of a child to give me my life."

"Yes, but he didn't intend for that to happen. I was crossing over at the time. I had just died. And something went wrong. I was sucked into a machine of sorts, and I could see a baby. I thought they were trying to kill you, maybe, but I couldn't have known. Next thing I knew, something happened, and I was inside your body giving you life. I was relieved, but the more you grew, the more agitated I became. I was jealous of you, for getting my life to live your own. Why did I have to die and give up my life and soul for you? And so, I snapped, causing your powers to surface and go out of control.

"But now, I don't think the same way. Over the past couple of weeks, I'd noticed you can't accept yourself or control your powers anymore, even with my help. You'd gotten to a point where you kind of could, but not anymore. I felt bad, because I knew it was my fault.

"So, I want to apologize to you, and come to an agreement with you. I will completely mold with you, and my existence will disappear. The soul I have will be completely and totally yours, and you will have the power you need to beat him. All I ask is for you to accept who you are. You're a wonderful person, Thorn, and everyone else can see that but you."

The girl outstretched her hand to Thorn, and the sunken look in her eyes started to fade. "Take my hand, Thorn. Accept what I'm offering."

Thorn shook her head. "I don't understand. Why would you give up your very existence for me?"

"My life is over. But you... You still have a long life to live, Thorn. I'm okay with this; I'm at peace. I'll never be able to see my mom or brother again, but I've accepted that fact. You still have family, friends, a future, and if I don't do this now, if I fade away, you die as well. This is for the best.

"There's no time now. Accept my offer, and be free."

Thorn could only hesitate. She didn't want this poor girl to cease existing for her, but she knew that the girl wasn't lying, either. So, with a heavy heart, she grasped the girl's hand.

There was a blinding light, and before Thorn could fully register what happened, she was back home, and her full power had been unleashed.


	29. At Least It's Finally Over

"Thorn?"

"It's okay, Dad. I can take it from here. Just stay back, by order of the Pumpkin Queen."

Thorn had returned. Jack watched her disappear right before his eyes, but Oogie did not let him fully register his shock, and immediately they were thrown into combat.

However, when Thorn had returned, her mannerisms were different.

Her arms, legs, and half of her face were emanating darkness. Her eyes seemed to be weeping tears of shadow. They cut dangerously at the air around her, and it looked like the power was spiraling out of control. Jack opened his mouth, but Thorn raised a shadowy hand. "It's okay. I can do this," she whispered.

That's when Jack knew. She had disappeared, and when she did, she was given complete control of her power. So, he stepped back, allowing Thorn to take the lead.

"What's this?" Oogie asked. He was growing unsteady, his form barely able to hold even with the distance between himself and Thorn.

"I banish you, Oogie Boogie, here and now, from Halloween Town, and any other holiday you can get your creepy crawly grips on. I hereby banish you to hell, where you belong, and you shall never return or cause anyone else harm ever again!"

Thorn's voice echoed through Town Hall. For a second, there was silence. But with time, Oogie began to shudder violently, his shadowy form unable to stay stable.

Anticlimactic as it was, with Thorn's power, she was finally able to banish the demon once and for all.

Jack turned to his daughter, who slowly went back to her normal form. She beamed at him, and with a tiny giggle, she muttered, "That wasn't the final showdown I was anticipating. You'd think I wouldn't be so overpowered I could just get rid of him with my voice."

For a moment, Jack said nothing. Then, he let out the heartiest laugh he'd ever released. He couldn't believe what came out of his own daughter's mouth, but he knew she had a point, and he was still proud. "I suppose it comes with being a holiday leader, fright sprite," he told her.

"And coming to peace with your inner demons," Thorn added.

Jack tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"The ghost is gone, Papa. She gave up her life for me, and with her gone, there's nothing holding me back from controlling my powers. I didn't want to accept it, but she gave me no choice in the matter.

"I'm just glad she can rest in peace now."

A soft smile found its way onto both of their lips. Relief flooded the room, and it was time for them to tell the news to the townspeople.


	30. Happily Ever After

_Two months later..._

Oogie was finally gone for good.

His miscreant henchmen could cause no one else further harm ever again.

Halloween Town would know peace forevermore, and Thorn smiled at the thought. She stared out the window of her new office in Town Hall, a thing she didn't know existed until she became holiday leader, and merely stared, watching her citizens prep for the next Halloween and go about their daily lives, happy that they would be able to carry out business as usual without having to worry about something going wrong.

"Thorn, are you listening?"

The Mayor's call brought Thorn back to her present and she looked at him with a smile on her face. "Sorry, Mayor," she muttered sheepishly. "I just can't help but be happy. No one will ever be in danger, and Halloween can be a success uninterrupted forever now. I'm happy the darkest age of Halloween Town has finally come to an end."

The Mayor could only pause at her words and genuine smile. But his own cheer soon matched his proud Pumpkin Queen's, and he replied, "Of course. I didn't think about that for a moment. I'm sorry, Thorn."

"No, Mayor, it's all right. Maybe we should wrap up for the day. I think I'd like to take a walk."

"But the plans for next Halloween!"

Thorn looked at the Mayor as his face changed from happy to sad, and let out a sigh. "We have plenty of time to make it absolutely perfect and bone-chilling, Mayor. Try to relax. A calm, calculated mind will yield us the best results."

Before he could reply, Thorn stepped out of the office and left Town Hall.

Her parents were waiting for her there, and embraced her. Thorn yelped in surprise, but couldn't help but laugh.

"How are the plans coming along?" Jack asked Thorn briefly.

"Horrifyingly wonderful, Papa," she replied. "Next year's Halloween is sure to be a scream."

"I certainly hope so."

"Jack, Thorn, why don't we go home and get some tea?" Sally cut in. "We have plenty of time for you to collaborate on Halloween while I get Thorn's new outfit made."

"Mama's right. Let's get home."

All in agreement, the Skellington family set off for their home, knowing that their happily ever after had finally come.

 **END**


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